The Gray Matter Lab – Planning

Last updated on January 11th, 2024 at 12:14 pm

I’ve always been a planner. From excel spreadsheets to calendar entries, to financial planning to program writing, I’m always at least a few weeks ahead, and typically more like years. So it makes sense that the first part of my transition from a commercial gym to a garage gym, begins with the planning phase. This is how I went about it in The Gray Matter Lab – Planning.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.

Lewis Carrol

A quick side note

I HIGHLY recommend going to the gym for at least a little while before pulling the trigger on home gym equipment. Often people think they will suddenly “make the time” for exercise because the equipment is readily available. They often quickly find in reality that what was keeping them from lifting was that they hated lifting. Not the commute, not the people, not the equipment, etc.

I put in from 18 years old to about 26 years old in various commercial settings. Not only did this ingrain in me that you have to show up to get anything done, but you also learn what you want out of the gym. Machines, bars, plates, cardio, you name it. Try it all on some other chump’s dime, before you drop money on equipment that doesn’t get used. Ok, rant over.

The Gray Matter Lab – Planning

I spent several years before I ever bought a house planning out my equipment purchases. What did I want to do? Did I have the budget? What were the essentials? What were the fun items on top to make it my gym? How much room did I have to work with? What were my DIY skills? How active was my used market? What did I need to buy new? Where was I going to buy it? So many questions to ponder.

I landed on a few ideas.

1. I wanted the basics in terms of a solid bar, weights, bench, rack, and a few extras like a trap bar, bands, and chains.
2. Since I didn’t have a house yet, I needed to know the requirements of said future house to fit the items I felt were necessary.
3. I needed to have several plans in place in terms of equipment, depending on exactly what I was going to be working with.
4. I needed to stay south of $2k for my initial investment.
5. I needed to scour Craigslist for whatever valid equipment I could find used, and put in some elbow grease to refurb some items.

What I Wanted

I only knew I wanted the basics, because I spent so many years in a commercial gym. While my wants have continued to change with my goals, the initial layout and design of my gym was tailored to who I was in terms of lifting for about 5+ years. Without that foundation, I easily could have bought a bunch of trash I didn’t need, I wouldn’t have used, and blown my budget.

Where

For the space requirements, I basically decided if I had roughly 10×10, I could make it work. It wasn’t ideal, it would feel cramped, but it would get the job done. I could have a platform, use it for all of my strength work, have a few feet/walls for storage, and any stretching and mobility was done on the platform prior/during workouts. Ideal, was closer to 20×20, but that would be a far reach. Anything in between would work.

For plans, I utilized http://powertecfitness.icovia.com/icovia.aspx which I found to be an extremely useful tool. While not 100% accurate, it gave me some valid spacing ideas. I could see how a rack, platform, bench, weight tree, etc. was going to fit in various layouts. I had planned out two different styles of gyms. One, was a more permanent setting where the rack, platform, plates, etc. were all in a spot and I would park or store things around it.

When it came time to lift, I’d simply move whatever vehicle or items out of the way and get at it (this is what I was lucky enough to go forward with). The second, was with a more squat stand approach of being able to throw down a piece of plywood and some mats, the stands, and pull out whatever I needed when I needed it. So most things would be stored on the walls, and brought out as they were required. No real dedicated space for lifting, instead dedicated space for storing lifting equipment.

Both Would Have Worked

Both options would have worked. For option 1, it was a Rogue R3 rack with some wall storage for bars, plate tree, etc. For option 2, it was a Vulcan Strength rack which appears they don’t make any more. It was a squat stand that could break down in the middle for storage, which allowed for spotter arms, bands, etc. This would have ended up being a huge pain in the ass, because set up time is wasted time in the gym. And if you are dedicating 20 minutes to pulling out equipment, that is 20 less minutes of lifting.

The Gray Matter Lab – Planning Budget

I picked $2k because for some reason, it felt like a solid number. No valid reason in terms of why $2k instead of $1k or $3k. But $2k allotted me the handful of items I wanted new, some used, and a few toys. $2k also seemed reasonable in terms of saving and allocating.

I knew I needed to find plates and a few other items used. I just couldn’t afford new prices of plates, so some paint and a little elbow grease would get it done. That meant checking Craigslist in the morning and after work, and making sure I had the tools available to refurb anything I bought.

The Most Important

What you want to accomplish and your space constraints are the keys. You can, in theory, always get more money. You can always chase down the next upgrade or flipping opportunity on Craigslist. Your DIY skills can expand. You can’t, however, typically expand your space. If you have a 12 x 12 room, buying a leg press is probably a bad investment of real estate. If you have a 2 acre barn, buying a folding rack seems pointless. Being a bodybuilder likely means leveraging every machine available. If you have a small side garage to get it done, you might be barking up the wrong tree. Figure out what you want out of your gym, and what your options are in terms of space, budget, used equipment market, and DIY skills.

Know your goals and know your fixed restraints, and get after it.

The Gray Matter Lab – Planning was the first step in my transition to a garage gym, followed by the Pilot Test.

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